Last night a budget hearing was held at the Civic Center to receive public input on how to cope with a projected 12 million dollar shortfall. One key concept being proposed by our elected County Executive, Rick Pollitt, was the abolishment of the County's revenue cap.
However, the idea was not well received as there was stiff opposition to the suggested proposal from several prominent citizens including VOICE. Several suggestions were given including a query about how much of our local sales tax collections were actually being returned back to our locality. Each year - with the exception of this past year - our areas sales tax collections have risen dramatically over previous years - sometimes in excess of 5 million dollars. How much of these proceeds are being returned back to our locality by Annapolis? This in itself is a 6 million dollar question.
Moreover, comments concerning government confiscation of hordes of buildings and lands particularly surrounding SU university were also brought-up. Retraction of our overall tax base is being reduced by these government takeovers.
Also, abolishment of the inventory tax was also proposed to entice new businesses to our area, and, to keep those from exiting across the State border into neighboring Delaware.
Increasing residential density requirements from 3 acres per dwelling to 1 acre per dwelling were also suggested to help spur sagging construction sales and increase sales tax collections as well as the elimination of the recently enacted impact fees that have caused a further deterioration of new construction permits being issued.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
8 comments:
We're simply going to have to get rid of Pollitt,..."lack of confidence". Since he's taken office I have yet to see anything introduced or applied as savings or cutting cost or even attempting to keep our money here in our county, instead, like a broken record...abolish the revenue cap {spend spend spend}. Even in the landfill scandal it cost us a fortune in audit fees and he hasnt lifted a finger to attempt to recoup any losses {10 thieves still employed there}. Look at the office's full of all those salaries to help him...yet they accomplish nothing other than public relations {covering their butts}. Let's cut our losses now, hold a hearing to throw them out and get some people in there that are willing to earn their keep.
I'm mad as ell am I'm not going to take it anymore!
Well stated 8:15am and couldn't agree with you more.
The revenue cap did its purpose, now it is a hidderence. It's time to get rid of it. There is a better way to fix the problems. I support Pollitt.
Wow, again people don't even know all of the facts...Rick Pollitt requested that all County departments cut their budgets by 10%, which they did...still short. Citizens don't want education, services, facilities or policing to be cut, but yet we are operating on a revenue cap nearly two decades old! Inorder to recover the $12M deficit created by the revenue cap that you all enjoyed for so long all that would be needed is an average of $266 annual increase in property tax for each of the approximately 45,000 properties in Wicomico County-the deficit is recovered in one year! You folks act like its going cost you thousands! The majority of properties in the County are assessed well below fair market value anyway! I know that my home is assessed over $65,000 below actual market value! I mean technically I should be paying atleast another $500 in taxes every year. Everybody wants their property values to go up, but they never want to pay the taxes associated with that increase...
Blame it on Rick Pollitt all you want, but he's not exactly working with alot here. I think that you would much rather pay a little more in taxes than take care of your own parks, send your kids to deteriorating schools, watch crime rates rise, ruin you cars with pot holes in the roadways, etc...
Rick has my support too!
So now Ricky P. wants to pay $10,000 per acre for land that is probably not worth even half that much and also increase out taxes. He needs to join Barrie (his childhood pal) in the retired officials zoo.
Dont blame R. pollitt look no further than VOICE. The pack of realtors that got fat. The in flated market values and ARM loans that nearly destroyed this country with greed. It all worked out for the best for Don Coffin and croanies the rest of us that work for a living got screwed. I have only met one realtor in my whole life I trust. I lump them in with used car salesmen. They will tell you anything for a commision.
Just like the rental slum lords of Salisbury City have the council under their thumb. So they think.
This bs was here way before Pollitt showed up. So dont pass that buck little John Cannon. You will never ever get the vote of my family or friends. This current council is the worst I have seen in twenty years. All that is missing is Carl Peterson and you would have the whole pile of shit in one room again. Wake up Wicomico County we are being duped. Clean house in two. Keep lewis and Pollitt get rid of the rest of them. I have followed this closely they are the only two elected in this county anyone can trust.
I'll say this. I voted for the Property Tax Revenue Cap because it was needed at the time. The people voted and made the decision to stop the frivolous spending by elected officials. IT WORKED. It was an excellent idea and it worked. But I feel that the job was half finished. Now we are in a different position. There is a viable solution to the quandry in which we currently find ourselves. Cut and suspend! There are services we could temprarily cut until we find ourselves clear of this financial mess we're in. In addition after we cut and /or suspend some things we may find we never needed them anyway. After we've cut to the bone we can study the implementation of a floating property tax revenue cap. That's right a floating cap. This cap could have a range of between 1% and 6%. Every election we could have it placed on the ballot as a matter of our county charter and the citizens could still decide what the appropriate cap will be for the next two years based on current economic conditions and the financial position of the county at the time. According to Ed Baker, this is a legal alternative should it be placed on the ballot for the citizens to decide upon to replace the existing inflexible 2% cap. It is not unreasonable to think that the current 2% cap may hinder our ability to make ends meet but there are definitely things that can be cut first. Paying someone to ride around and tag unregistered vehicles on private property without a complaint being made is something we could cut as an example. There are many things that can be either cut of cut further in order to maintain a high level of essential services. Rick is a good man. He has the best interest of the people in this county at heart. He and I may have some philosophical differences but I voted for him the first time and I will vote for him again.
Rick, show the people of Wicomico County that you have cut everything you can and then push the idea of a floating cap that is not so inflexible but still leaves the cap in the hands of the people so that elected officials cannot runn away with them.
Democrats do nothing to reduce spending. I voted for Rick since I had known him for years and trusted his word on transparency and effiecent government. I have found that was a mistake. Dave C. wants to bring up education, Police and other entitlements which should be the first to be funded. These Departments need responsible leadership first. Nothing is said about tax dollars supporting non - profits and other organizations. Cut these programs and other unneccessary expenditures and then tell me that the entitlements cannot funded. You will be flabbergasted where wastefull spending is going. Rick and others responsible for budgets in the County should quit wasting our tax dollars and submit truefull budgets.
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